


i wanna be your last first kiss

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Canon Compliant, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Everything is happy, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Kissing, Korean Keith (Voltron), M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romantic Fluff, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touch-Starved Keith (Voltron), but not rlly, it doesnt rlly follow the order of the events happening in canon, kind of, pure fluff, the Good Shit(tm), theres literally no angst just
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 15:43:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12915018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After seeing Lance and Hunk kiss, Keith had just felt curious about the two boy's relationship. As it turned out, Lance and Hunk were not dating, but only kissed because they wanted to.Keith and Lance becamesmoochbuddies afterwards.





	i wanna be your last first kiss

**Author's Note:**

> henlo college is tough and i dont have time to work on kknifeboy is typing but i wrote this 8k word bullshit bc i needed some fluffy klance in my life  
> also i didnt proof read bc im a lazy piece of shit lol im prolly gonna do it later  
> (title 110% from one direction - last first kiss)  
> enjoy pals

It started as an accident, really.

 

Accident meaning that what Keith had blurted out did not by any means have to escape his lips. Not at all.

 

It all started a day prior, precisely.

 

He had been heading to his room, feeling completely exhausted after a what seemed to be an eternity long mission, when he accidentally saw  _it_.

 

 _It_  being the way Lance had pulled Hunk towards his shorter self, swiftly planting a kiss on his lips. The action was nowhere near the usual passion-filled kisses he once used to see being shared between couples around him—no, this one seemed innocent,  _platonic_. And it bugged Keith, because they had just  _kissed_. Keith, with his own two eyes, had witnessed  _Lance and Hunk kiss._

 

He took a few steps backwards, just enough for the pair in front not to decipher his presence. A few seconds passed when he noticed their voices had died down, an indication that the both of them had parted ways, presumably to their respective rooms.

 

Still, the scene replayed in Keith’s head a few times. By definition, a kiss was a touch of the lips, which usually indicated a sign of love, sexual desire, reverence, or greeting. Those were the only plausible reasons to kiss someone.

 

In their case, it couldn’t have been shared to express reverence, nor to express greeting, since both of them went back to their room.

 

It couldn’t have been sexual desire, either, judged by their demeanour and the aura both of them seemed to emit. That meant-

 

Keith let out a small gasp.

 

Were Hunk and Lance romantically involved?

 

It sounded strange, foreign almost. Ever since he first met them, they’ve never struck to him as a couple. Their dynamics screamed  _we’re best buds!_ It simply did not seem right, for some reasons.

 

Keith’s head snapped back and stared at the exact spot the other boys have left.  _Oh my God,_ Keith thought,  _they’re dating._

 

And had it not been such a shocking conclusion, Keith might have let it dissipate into the abysses of his mind.

 

But he didn’t.

 

And that was what lead him to this moment, a day later, awkwardly sharing a sofa with Lance.

 

Hunk, Pidge, and Allura’s presences soon left their communal lounge, leaving only Keith and Lance occupying one of the multiple large sofas.

 

Keith, stiffly seated, toned arms tightly crossed over his chest, threw a few glances towards the other boy’s direction. His ears caught the semblance of a hummed melody coming out of the latter’s pouty mouth as his long fingers expertly busied themselves by fiddling and twirling what seemed to be a peculiar alien toy around.

 

Indigo eyes settled on said pouty lips and images of them pressed against Hunk’s assailed all of a sudden. Keith gulped, his suspicions about the two of them resurfacing.

 

Curiosity was not something Keith had. Interfering in other people’s business was not interesting to him, and he expected them to feel the same about his own.

 

Still, seeing Lance and Hunk _kissing_ , and out of nowhere, too…

 

 _I could ask him_ , he pondered, although quickly decided against his idea. The Korean boy had never been good with social interactions, and God forbade he’d find the strength to hold a long conversation with someone who doesn’t share a deep bond with him.

 

But, Lord, the situation had still appeared so strange, so unnatural to him, somehow...

 

Before he could stop himself, Keith found his brain urging him to mutter the words, “are you and Hunk dating?”

 

And so, he did.

 

The fiddling of Lance’s fingers came to a halt, and the boy turned his face to him, expression scrunched up into something resembling confusion, amusement almost. “You talkin’ to me?” he asked, finger pointed at himself.

 

Keith’s gaze detached itself from Lance’s lips, bringing his eyes to meet ocean blue ones. “Huh?” he said without thinking.

 

Lance’s eyebrows were knitted together. “Uh,” he began, “you just asked me if Hunk and I were dating.”

 

“Yeah,” his mind went on autopilot, words spilling out one after the other, “I saw you two kiss yesterday.”

 

The furrows in the taller boy’s eyebrows deepened momentarily, and before Keith had any time to register Lance’s expression, the latter threw himself into a fit of laughter. Keith’s face scrunched up into a frown, unaware of what about the situation was deemed laughable enough for Lance.

 

The few tears of laughter caught into Lance’s long lashes seemed to glisten under the bright LED-like lights above, and the boy’s voice quieted down to small giggles. “Oh man,  _buddy_. Do you actually think Hunk and I are a thing?” he managed after a while. “He’s my best friend, I can’t see myself going out with him!”

 

“But, I saw you - “

 

“ - kiss, yeah, but that doesn’t mean we’re dating.”

 

The expression on Keith’s visage must have been peculiar enough for Lance to resume on laughing, almost harder than he did before. If the situation hadn’t seemed too confusing for him, Keith would’ve taken great offence to the blue paladin’s reaction.

 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” he tore his gaze off of Lance, focusing on a random object - a chair - behind the latter, and continued, “kissing means there’s romantic feelings involved - it’s something  _couples_  do! There’s no way you two can kiss if you aren’t a couple, or if don’t have feelings for each other -“

 

And he must have been so incredibly lost in his rambling, for the warmth of Lance’s hand on his shoulder went completely unnoticed. Upon settling his gaze back onto the boy, he found that ever so present grin carved on his face. “Pal, you got it all wrong. Hunk and I kiss sometimes because it just  _feels_  nice.” He explained simply.

 

It did not make sense, still.

 

It must have shown in his expression - once again - because Lance quickly added, “have you ever felt the need to smooch someone? No one in particular, just the need to feel someone else’s lips on yours, you know.”

 

Keith let his question sink in, carefully analyzing every feeling he had felt as he tried to locate the one which best corresponded with Lance’s description.

 

Having spent quite some times in his shack alone, Keith had grown accustomed to the heaviness of loneliness and independence. No one had been needed back then, and never once had Keith found himself complaining.

 

Although, it  _did_  result in him craving some kind of contact at times. It didn’t matter the sort; any kind of other human presence besides his own had sometimes been highly wanted, even if just in a completely non-sexual way.

 

In a way, Keith had been yearning the comforting touches of others. Touch-starved, if you will.

 

These feelings, he pondered profoundly, could very well correspond to those Lance were referring to. Indigo eyes concentrated once more on the spirally chair behind Lance - a way to avoid the Cuban’s intense gaze - and he gave a small nod. He waited one, two, three long ticks before adding, voice hushed, “yeah, I guess I have.”

 

It felt like a confession, somehow. A raw exposure of himself that had been kept hidden from the vision of others until now. It sprouted within him a feeling of unease; he, who had always been known and viewed by his pairs as ‘Keith, the lone wolf’, ‘Keith, the dropout’, or ‘Keith, with the discipline issues’, was slowly allowing his inner self to see the day. And to  _Lance_ , of anyone.

 

His inner turmoil completely -  _thankfully_  - went over Lance’s head. “So, that’s why I do it with Hunk. It’s effective, convenient, and none of us end up hurting because we know we won’t catch feelings or anything. You should try it, you know. Might help you get rid of all the tension you got.” His fist playfully collided with Keith’s stiff shoulder, and the other growled in response. “I’m fine, thanks. Besides, it’s not like I have anyone to do it with.”

 

“You could do it with me.”

 

At that, Keith’s eyes snapped back to look into Lance’s ocean blue ones. “What.” is the only thing that left his lips, because,  _what the hell._ Lance had just suggested- he- that couldn’t be right. Unlike him and Hunk, Keith and Lance weren’t best friends - not even  _friends_  for that matter. It wasn’t something they could just  _do_.

 

The already large smile grew on Lance’s face, his hand gripping Keith’s shoulder. “Yeah! We know each other, right? That’s already a good start. And,” he accentuated his point by sharply shaking the shorter teen’s shoulder, “the good thing about it is that I’ll never say no to smooches, because I love them and I always wanna smooch someone. So it’s a win-win situation, really.”

 

Silence weighed on them momentarily as Lance patiently waited for Keith’s answer, that goddamn smile not once leaving his face.

 

Keith took a while to assess the situation. There Lance was, his self-proclaimed  _rival_ , offering him to - as he put it -  _smooch_  whenever they both felt the need to do it. It sounded absurd, unreal, improbable. And yet...

 

“What, you scared, mullet?” the teasing tone of his voice irked him.

 

As usual, his actions ran faster than his mind. Hot-headed, impulsive Keith took control and blurted out, “Scared? Scared of  _what_? Of course I’m down. We’re doing it.”

 

They fell into silence once more, and the atmosphere suddenly felt thicker, more awkward. Lance’s hand, still splayed across Keith’s shoulder, tensed suddenly and grasped at the soft fabric of his shirt. “Do you wanna give it a try? Like, right now?” his voice was significantly softer than it had been a few moments prior.

 

Keith gulped, registered the other’s request, and offered a shy nod. The air around them had most definitely altered by now; heavier, like he noticed before, and  _intimate_ , in a way. It was strange, so,  _so_  strange and unfamiliar, but hey, if that was what Lance was doing with Hunk, it couldn’t be that bad, could it?

 

So he replied - a second time - with a quiet “yeah” and positioned himself as to face the taller boy completely.

 

“Alright, here I go,” warned Lance as warm hands found their way to the red paladin’s crimson tinted cheeks, cupping them.

 

Their gaze met for a moment, blue eyes scrutinizing the violet hues of Keith’s own, and glanced down to the latter’s pink, plush lips. Keith licked them in anticipation; for some unknown reasons, it seemed like time froze around them, making every movement Lance made appear even slower.

 

The blue paladin leaned in, and Keith’s body found that it, too, seemed to follow that direction. His fisted hands clenched on his thighs, and Keith let his eyelid drop ever so slowly, long lashes fanning out over flushed cheeks.

 

The rhythmic thumping of his heart increased considerably, making Keith wonder briefly if Lance could hear it, too.

 

He shortened the gap between them, Keith could feel it; could feel the other’s breath mingle with his own, the unfamiliar but not unwelcome heat emitted by his body, the softness of his hands on his skin and the way his thumb gently, slowly stroked his cheekbone —

 

— and before Keith’s mind has any time to register what has happening, their nose touched, and Lance pushed his lips against Keith’s and,  _oh_ , they were so much softer than they looked.

 

The kiss - if it could have been called a kiss - ended almost as quickly as it had started. It only lasted a few seconds, and even after they parted, the feeling of Lance’s lips lingered on Keith’s.

 

They just kissed, he thought. Realization suddenly hit him that,  _oh, my God,_  he had just  _kissed_  Lance, his  _rival_ , the guy that - apparently - despised him and was solely fuelled by the desire to be better than him at anything and everything.  _He and Lance kissed._ And it was Keith’s first kiss, too -

 

“Whoa, really? No way. You’re telling me I, Lance Hernández, stole Keith Park’s first kiss?”

 

 _Shit_ , he had said it out loud. Keith tried to ignore the smugness in the other boy’s voice, and tried to even further forget about the heat of embarrassment creeping up his neck. “Whatever, Lance. It doesn’t matter now. We did it, and that’s it.”

 

Lance offered him a toothy grin, where two dimples dug deep into each of his cheeks. A hand came to pat Keith’s shoulders twice, and Lance said, “at least now you have someone to do it with. Knock on my door if you’re craving some more smooching.”

 

Lance stood up at that, waving Keith goodnight before heading to his room, leaving the Korean boy alone on the sofa, drowning in his thoughts.

 

Well, it appeared that Keith had acquired himself a new smooch buddy.

 

* * *

 

 

It didn’t happen that often. The kissing, that is.

 

Between Galra attacks and diplomatic missions, the most of them found that they had little to no time to themselves once back in the Castle of Lions. Wake up, eat, train, eat, train, sleep – the same repetitive routine each and every single day.

 

Lance and Keith had worked out a simple yet very simple code regarding their kissing; a light squeeze of one’s upper arm was enough to let the other know they wanted a kiss.

 

Then again, such an occurrence appeared to be quite rare, unfortunately.

 

The number of shared kisses could be counted on one hand, as rare as they were.

 

Like the one kiss they shared after dinner, hidden from the usually morbidly curious glare of their teammates as Lance’s fingers gently brushed against the shorter boy’s bicep, leaning down and brushing his lips - soft, warm - against Keith right after the latter gave a small nod of consent.

 

Or the way their lips had continuously found each other one time after training, the kisses often interrupted by each other’s pants of exhaustion, still attempting to catch their breath after having decimated the hoard of training bots together.

 

It wasn’t like Keith felt disappointed by him and Lance’s lack of  _smooching_ , because they  _still_  did it occasionally.

 

There was a feeling churning in Keith’s stomach, foreign and inmost, that kept on resurfacing every once in a while, as if begging him for another body’s warmth and affection. It grew larger each day, to which Keith drew the only logical conclusion he could think of: because of Lance’s peculiar proposition, he had grown accustomed to having soft lips gently pressing on his, along with the feeling of warm hands that fit snuggly underneath his jawline.

 

And Lance had specified that they could do it anytime – _anytime_ , he had said -, meaning that if Keith were to drag his feet to the room adjacent to his own, he’d be rewarded with what he had wanted from the beginning.

 

And so, that was what he did.

 

Ignoring the eerie darkness enveloping him and the alarmingly echoing sound of each of his footsteps, Keith found the strength to shuffle his way to Lance’s room, giving the tightly shut metal door three firm knocks. While Altean technology didn’t allow them to know quite specifically what time it was converted into Earth’s standards, Keith had little to know idea if the boy had already fallen into Morpheus’ arms, seeing as sleep seemed to be a crucial element of Lance’s beauty routine, or whatever that was.

 

Which, admittedly, had come as a shock to be greeted by a fully awake Lance, an orange tablet-like device securely tucked underneath his armpit.

 

“What’s up, bro?”

 

Keith avoided his piercing gaze. “Hey.”

 

Their exchange cut short, and Keith took it to himself to step inside the Cuban’s room, the latter’s little whiny ‘hey!’ passing right over his head.

 

Soon enough he’s sitting on Lance’s bed, his own gaze promptly refusing to look up in fear of meeting oceanic blue eyes that were piercing his skull with lasers, he could _feel_ it.

 

“So,” began Lance, “why are you here?”

 

“Why are you awake?”

 

“Answer the damn question, Keith.”

 

But the words clogged up in his throat, for a reason completely unbeknownst to him.

 

The reason was pretty simple, pretty straightforward; he came here because he wanted to smooch someone.

 

Lance should have known. Lance _should_ know, should be undoubtedly aware that Keith’s presence meant smooches.

 

Because _he_ had been the one proposing, _he_ had been the one throwing ‘c _ome by anytime for more smooches!_ ’ or something, and Lance’s confusion _did not make any sense to him._

The tightness of his arms across his chest amplified. “You know why I’m here.” He ended up saying, bottom lip jutted out in a slight pout.

 

“What? No, I don’t. How the hell am I supposed to know why you randomly decided to show up in front of my room at God knows when in the morning?”

 

He didn’t sound angry, Keith noticed. His voice was dripping with sarcasm and a twinge of amusement, Keith also noticed. And Keith did not like that.

 

“Why are you complaining about the time if you’re not sleeping? I didn’t wake you up from your princess beauty sleep.”

 

Lance’s arm shot up in the air, a groan of exasperation leaving his lips. “Stop changing the subject, Park! Just answer me! What are you doing here? Do you need something?”

 

And, _ah_ , there it was again; the ball of embarrassment and agitation resurfacing and blocking any words trying to escape from his throat. He settled with vague gestures, a series of _well_ ’s and _you know_ ’s and _um_ ’s managing their way out. Keith’s eyes rapidly glanced up and went down to their initial fixation point, just enough to transcript into his mind the expression of confusion written on Lance’s face.

 

He groaned. This wasn’t leading him anywhere, he soon realized.

 

Eyelids fluttering close, Keith settled with tapping his lips twice, thrice with his finger, hoping the message got across clearly this time.

 

There was a pause, then, “oh.”

 

Keith didn’t dare open his eyes, instead kept them tightly shut as he waited for Lance’s reply.

 

Which, of course, wasn’t at all surprising.

 

“Aw, Keith,” he cooed, dragging the ‘i’ out like a child, “you wanted some smoochy smoochies from meee!”

 

“Don’t call them that ever again.”

 

His voice broke a little as he spoke. Lance must have noticed; his boisterous laughter echoed, bouncing off the walls around his room and it made Keith feel so, so, _so_ aware of the situation and so _incredibly_ embarrassed.

 

He soon felt a weight sinking down the mattress beside him; Lance must have sat down, he concluded.

 

“Keith, buddy. Look at me.”

 

Slowly, agonizingly, Keith let his eyes flutter open and looked at his teammate. A small smile was sketched on his face, reassuring and soft and kind.

 

“You don’t need to be embarrassed. It’s what we agreed on, yeah?”

 

“I’m not embarrassed,” lied Keith, the colouration of his face visibly betraying his words.

 

Lance’s warm hand rested on the base of Keith’s neck, threading through thick ebony strands of hair. “Shh, come here. I got you.”

 

With one swift motion, Keith found himself pulled forward until his and Lance’s lips were touching. Although the action was fully expected, Keith’s eyes were wide open, and he couldn’t quite bring himself to reciprocate the kiss just yet. Lance seemed to sense his surprise, pulling out ever so slightly and whispering a faint ‘you okay?’ against his lips.

 

Keith nodded, and as fast as he’d done it the first time, Lance dove right back in, angling his head slightly to the right and let his lips slot perfectly with Keith’s. His eyes were shut this time, hands finding their way on Lance’s boney shoulders as he started kissing the boy back, slowly, gently, as if he would shatter at any moment.

 

He felt Lance sigh contentedly against his mouth, bringing both his hands so they were each on Keith’s burning cheeks. It didn’t feel that much different from the other kisses they’ve shared, except for the fact this one was longer, warmer, slower, as if time had stopped and the moment existed for the both of them only.

 

They pulled away, the two of them, and gazed into one another’s eyes briefly before Lance planted one, two, three soft kisses on his lips. “There you go, bud,” he smiled, all white teeth and deep dimples.

 

“Yeah, uh,” the softness of Lance’s hand became the only thing Keith’s mind was focusing on. And _Lord_ did the soft rubbing motion of his thumb against his cheek not help. “I’ll – I think I’ll be heading back now.”

 

“Oh, okay.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Silence.

 

Lance’s voice, unusually quiet, disrupted the stillness around them. “Don’t hesitate next time, Mullet.”

 

Keith smiled. “I won’t.”

 

As he exited Lance’s room and headed back to his, Keith was surprised to find that the smile did not leave his face.

 

* * *

 

 

Planet Azuros was, by far, the most Earth-like planet they have landed on.

 

The bright turquoise and cerulean watercolour painted up above their heads, and the splashes of vibrant greens the flora consisted of were absolutely breathtaking; it resembled Earth, yes, albeit a more paradisiac version of Earth, perhaps.

 

They were on a diplomatic mission, as repeated again and again by Allura, which meant it was expected for each Paladins to be on their best behaviour. It appeared as though the population of this planet had what it took for them to make an alliance and join the coalition or something – Keith’s mind seemed to have gone someplace else while the mission had been explained, for some reasons.

 

Their leader, Glyphels, had been seen communicating plans and professional affairs with Allura whilst the Paladins were out roaming around the new horizons, exploring and appreciating the beauty and serenity of the place. The Azurosians were nice enough to greet the Paladins of Voltron with an array of food that somehow looked simultaneously suspicious and appetizing.

 

Keith accidentally found Lance lying on lavender-tinted grass, eyes staring at the clouds above. The blazing suns illuminated his face in a way that it seemed to glow, usually light freckles dusted on his cheeks appearing all the more prominent, whilst a golden halo sat on his chocolate-brown hair. He looked peaceful, for once. Much so that Keith debated on whether he should approach him or not.

 

“Hey,” he said tentatively. “There’s still some food left back there, if you want.”

 

The blue paladin looked up at him, smiling. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

His gaze flicked back up at the sky, and Keith, unsure and awkward, stood in the same spot.

 

“Lay with me,” asked Lance, a request so simple yet enough to make Keith’s heart skip a beat, oddly, but he complied.

 

No words were exchanged for a few minutes; both pair of eyes following the gentle dance of silvery clouds, drinking in the soft, yet crystal clear sound of gentle breeze sweeping through tall branches.

 

“I like it here,” inquired Lance, “it’s pretty.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“It reminds me of home, kind of.”

 

Curiosity seeped through Keith; head turned towards the other boy, his lips said, “how come?”

 

“It’s blue. Blue and pretty and warm, just like Varadero beach and its clear blue water, its burning hot sand, and its warmth and familiarity and everything. It’s very pretty; both the beach and this planet. I kinda wanna stay here for a bit longer.”

 

Keith didn’t know what to say, as the feeling of home and _belonging_ still tasted bitter in his mouth; foreign. A gloved hand came to scratch his nose awkwardly. “Allura said we might spend a couple of days here; she probably has a few missions for us and all.”

 

Lance’s eyes were on him, suddenly, and Keith had never noticed how _deep_ they were. His lips quirked up into a small smile. “I’m glad, then. It’d be a shame to leave so soon.”

 

He silently agreed, returning his gaze to where the two suns illuminated everything from above.

 

Lance had never been this calm before. Or, Keith had never been subjected to a calm, thoughtful Lance before. It seemed weird, at first, and had led Keith to believe the other boy wasn’t feeling well. He didn’t, then, but Keith had also never _seen_ sad and vulnerable Lance before…

 

Completely lost in his thoughts, the warm hand that came rest upon his bicep went unnoticed. He turned towards Lance, meeting with those cerulean eyes staring right back at him. His teeth were gnawing on his bottom lips ever so slightly, and his expression was unreadable.

 

It did not occur to him right away, but, _Oh,_ he thought – remembered; the arm touches meant Lance wanted a kiss – was _asking_ for a kiss.

 

Keith nodded. “Okay.”

 

Lance rolled over, both his hands placed on each side of the Korean boy’s face as he hovered over him. “Tell me if you don’t want this, yeah?”

 

His heart thudded perhaps a bit louder than usual. “I- I do. I want this, you know I do. I wouldn’t have agreed on doing _this_ with you if I didn’t want it.”

 

There was a soft hand holding his jaw, tipping it up, and a thumb running over Keith’s bottom lip soothingly. “I know,” replied Lance, eyes softening, “but don’t hesitate to tell me if you’re not in the mood or something. I wouldn’t want you to feel forced…”

 

Lance’s sentence had yet to be finished when Keith found the courage to grab him by the shirt and gently, slowly guide him down, their lips inches apart. “I said I want this. I always do.”

 

Their lips touched once; a soft, delicate butterfly-like peck, then another few times in a repeating manner. They gazed into each other’s eyes momentarily before going back for another soft, yet firmer brush of their lips. Keith ignored the way their nose bumped awkwardly, or the tight squeeze of his heart every time Lance sighed contentedly into his mouth. He ignored the heat of his face, and how the feeling of Lance’s cold fingers against his burning skin drew shivers down his spine.

 

At one point their fingers intertwined, and Lance tilted his head to the right, deepening the kiss. It felt simultaneously too much, and _not enough_. Keith’s free hand grasped tightly at the taller boy’s shirt, slid all the way up to the base of his neck, unsure of what to do. His heart was but a rapid staccato cacophony inside fragile ribs, the heat pooling in his stomach resembling butterflies trying to break free. He finally settled with pulling the boy down, impossibly _closer_ , feeling the warmth of his body against his.

 

It was _too much,_ yet Keith didn’t want it to end.

 

Except it _did_ end, much to both boys’ silent disappointment. A loud call of their names brought them back to reality, forcing them apart instantly.

 

They looked at one another, eyes wide as hearts racing. Lance’s lips were reddened by the kissing, much like the colour his high cheekbones turned, and, _ah,_ did that make Keith want to lean forward and press his lips one last time against Lance’s.

 

Lance gave a firm squeeze of their still intertwined hands, grinning sheepishly. “Let’s go, Samurai. They’re waiting for us.”

 

 _Maybe another time,_ Keith thought, and both of them rejoined their teammates hand-in-hand.

 

(They simultaneously let go of their hands a few miles away from their teammates, though, as to not raise any suspicion.)

 

* * *

 

 

Keith couldn’t sleep. Again.

 

He tossed and turned in his bed, unable to get his mind to stop reminiscing about that kiss they had shared a few days ago. That _goddamn_ kiss that had left Keith breathless, weak, _yearning._

 

It hadn’t felt like any of the other kisses they have shared before. The difference was drastic, and it shook Keith, hit him like a train that there had been something else in it; something warm and tingly and _intimate_ , yet he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

 

The feeling in his stomach hadn’t quite disappeared either; it felt as if he wanted to throw up, but positively. The butterflies were eager to set free, it seemed.

 

Heaving a sigh, the Korean boy shuffled out of his room and decided to head to the training deck. If insomnia decided to keep him awake, might as well occupy himself until exhaustion.

 

Darkness submerged the Castle, time nearing one or two in the morning according to Earth’s standards. Had it appeared eerie the first few nights spent in the Castle, this atmosphere had quickly become soothing, familiar for Keith. His feet directed him to the training deck almost by instinct but quickly came to a stop upon hearing ruffling coming from a nearby room.

 

Everyone in the Castle was sound asleep. Could it maybe be an intruder?

 

Fists clenched, Keith approached the source of sound cautiously. “Who’s here?” he tried, voice stringent.

 

The sound stopped for a moment before seeming to approach him. Keith got into position, ready to attack. Along with the steps apparently came a small voice, which muttered a weak “Keith? Is that you?”

 

“Lance? What are you doing there?”

 

The person – Lance – stuck his head out of the door, hair dishevelled and weary eyes. “Looking for snacks. You never do that?”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Look for snacks, duh.”

 

“Oh.”

 

He heard a snicker coming from Lance before the latter returned back into the kitchen. “Come with me,” Lance’s distant voice said, “you’re gonna help me with this.”

 

A part of Keith urged him to follow Lance into the kitchen, unbeknownst to himself. He scoffed, letting his steps follow behind Lance’s. “I’m not gonna help you with anything, Lance. I’m not stealing snacks or whatever you’re doing.”

 

“Pfft, come on, bud. We’re not stealing,” he shoved a few bags of cookies in Keith’s arms, “we’re just _borrowing_. It’s different.”

 

“’Borrowing’ food. Yeah, right. How are you gonna give it back then?”

 

His arms quickly felt heavy, what with the amount of food Lance was dumping onto them. “I don’t know, but I’m sure they won’t mind. I think Hunk and Allura made them, anyway. They’ll probably be happy to know it was _so good_ we ate most of them.”

 

Keith snorted. “Sure, but I’m putting the blame on you if they get mad.”

 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, pal.”

 

Lance eyed his masterpiece laying in Keith’s arms and offered a satisfied smile. “Perfect. Now bring it to the observatory; I’ll be joining you in a bit.”

 

“The – I was planning on going to the training – “

 

“Shhh,” a finger was placed on Keith’s plush lips, effectively silencing him down, “you’re staying in the observatory with me. Now go; I’ll get the blankets and pillows.”

 

And with that, Lance was gone, running into his room with child-like excitement, leaving a very confused Keith behind. The latter contemplated throwing the snacks on the ground and returning to the training deck, but his body somehow acted on its own, leading him to the observatory where he patiently waited for Lance to come back.

 

Lance joined him a couple of minutes later, arms full of fluffy pillows and blankets. “Honey, I’m home,” he singsonged, dumping everything next to Keith.

 

Keith felt himself blush almost instantly at Lance’s words. “Don’t call me that,” he sputtered immediately, head turned away from him as to dissimulate his reddening cheeks. They had agreed on kissing, yes, but as far as he was concerned, pet names were completely and utterly out of the question.

 

Lance must have noticed, since he replied with a quick ‘it’s just a saying, bro, relax’ as he messily spread the ivory blankets on the floor. Upon being all settled, the pair laid on the faux-bed that had just been assembled and gazed into the illuminated night sky of Azuros.

 

“You weren’t sleeping,” began Keith.

 

“You weren’t either.”

 

Keith’s nose scrunched up. “I never sleep, you know that. You’re the one who always needs a few extra hours.”

 

Lance reached between them both, pulling a cookie out of the bag. “I don’t know. I was hungry.” He bit down on it, humming softly in delight. “That’s so good. It tastes like mango and frozen yoghurt. Try it.”

 

“Nah, I’m fine. Not hungry.”

 

“Suit yourself.”

 

They remained in complete silence, admiring the shining stars and the few moons haphazardly displayed in the sky. They all varied in size and colour; from pink to greenish blue; small, insignificant dots to immense bright disks. Some of them stood out by their circumfluent rings, casting purplish hues around them.

 

The sight was mesmerizing. Breathtaking, even.  

 

Lance pointed at one of the moons; the closest one, golden with caramel-like swirls at the far bottom right. Probably storms, just like the ones on Jupiter.  “See this moon?” he asked Keith, whose eyes followed where Lance’s finger pointed. “It’s named after one of Azuros’ four Gods, _Umua._ They’re the God of peace and benevolence.”

 

Slightly taken aback by the knowledge Lance exposed, Keith asked, “how do you know that?”

 

“Glyphels told me the other day. I wanted to know the reason they have so many moons, you know. Anyway, that one, here,” he moved to a smaller, bluish moon with two bright violet rings, “is called _Ven_ , the God of serenity. And _that_ one - the pinkish one - is named after the God of love and passion, but I forgot their name. It was too complicated.”

 

Both boys giggled at that, and Keith nudged Lance’s side gently. “What about that last one?”

 

“This one is _Alsae_ , the God of sincerity. And Glyphels told me that if you connect all those little stars in between to the moons, it forms a heart, and that’s one of the reasons Azurosians are a nonviolent, loving society. They believe their Gods are sending them a message from above.”

 

Keith’s indigo eyes scanned the expanse of Universe shown right before his eyes, but couldn’t quite figure out where this heart shape formed. “I don’t see it.”

 

“Here, let me.” Lance took Keith’s hand in his and used Keith’s index to slowly trace in the air, connecting the stars and moon in a clumsy heart-like pattern. “Like this; do you see it now?”

 

He did see it, now, but he mostly was aware of the warmth of Lance’s hand, how smooth it felt on his own. He gulped. “Yeah, I think I do.”

 

Lance didn’t let go of Keith’s hand. The presence of that weird feeling in Keith’s stomach made a reappearance all too abruptly upon realizing this moment mirrored the one from a couple days ago, when they had shared _the_ kiss; both of them lying down next to each other, looking at the sky, making small talk. His throat felt constricted; words couldn’t come out, for some reason, and his mind was unable to form coherent sentences.

 

At one point Keith felt the pad of Lance’s thumb stroking his knuckles, ghostlike and feather-light. It was barely there, but amongst the irregular cacophony inside his ribcage and the whirlpool of thought in his mind, he had felt it.

 

“Keith,” started Lance, voice hushed and laced with uncertainty, “can I – uh -”

 

“Y-yeah?”

 

“I, um,” he scratched his head, tearing his gaze away from the sky. He didn’t look at Keith, either. “I really want to kiss you.”

 

At this moment, realization dawned on him that ever since they have started this entire  _smooch buddies_ thing, it had never been explicitly stated that they wanted a kiss; the subtle arm touched held this purpose anyway.

 

With the statement being said this way, the situation suddenly felt a hundred times more intimate, and Keith heart seized. Lance wanted to kiss Keith. He wanted,  _asked_  to kiss  _him._  In retrospect, the request still remained the same; Lance asked for a kiss. But it meant so much more for Keith in that instant.

 

“Me too.” Keith transferred himself from his to Lance’s faux-bed, the bag of cookies long forgotten beside them. “I want to kiss you, too.”

 

Lance’s blue eyes glimmered, tan skin refracting translucent lavender light under the pale moonlight. “Yeah?” he asked, voice trembling. Their hands then intertwined, before Lance pressed them against his chest, feeling the rapid throbbing of his heart. For a moment Keith pondered if Lance could hear his own frantic heartbeat, too.

 

“Yeah.” Keith lowered his head, eyes never once leaving Lance’s. “I really want to.”

 

Their lips brushed slowly, tentatively. It was short and timid, reminded Keith of his — of  _their_  first kiss. Keith hadn’t felt it back then, the electricity that ran down his spine and tingled all the way to the very tip of his fingers. It was here this time. It remained even after Lance threaded his free hand through Keith’s thick locks, slotted their lips just right in a slow, languid kiss.

 

Their lips began to move together, finding their pace, and Keith sighed a sigh laced with pleasure and contentment and  _peace_. He could sense the stark difference this kiss harboured in comparison to all the others they had. This one seemed more intimate, more open, more _sincere_. They made the butterflies in Keith’s stomach go absolutely  _crazy_ , too. His hand reaches to cradle Lance’s face, tilting his head to the side and effectively deepening the kiss. He tasted like mango and frozen yoghurt, and at this instant, it was all Keith had ever wanted.

 

At one point, Keith felt himself being pulled to the side, in such a manner he was then lying completely on top of Lance. Lance’s arms circled his middle, and they were so,  _so_  impossibly close; Lance’s heartbeat resonated against his own pulsing heart, and it felt so incredibly comforting.

 

After a moment Lance pulled back slightly, peppering kisses along the expanse of his sharp jawline. “Keith,” his lips brushed against his earlobe “Keith.”

 

“Mmh,” Keith let his eyelids flutter shut, his body going completely limp on top of the Cuban’s.

 

The kisses made their way to the juncture of his jaw, and Keith let out a quiet giggle at the contact. “Keith,” Lance murmured against his flushed skin in between kisses. “I love you.”

 

Hold on.

 

What.

 

Keith’s eyes shot open as he stilled in Lance’s arms. He thought he could feel his heart skipping a beat at the words but,  _no,_ he couldn’t have heard right; Lance might have been caught up in the moment and mistook Keith for someone else, or maybe that big mouth of his was on autopilot and blurting out this and that at random, or —

 

“I love you so much, Keith.”

 

Or maybe it wasn’t.

 

It took a while for him to notice that Lance had also halted any kind of movement too, his lips barely brushing against Keith’s skin; only hot puffs of air could be felt instead. Keith started, voice hushed, uncertain, “you do?”

 

Lance nodded, burying his face in the crook of Keith’s neck. “Yeah, I do. I’m sorry. I — maybe I should have waited longer to tell you —”

 

“No!” replied Keith almost instantly. “No, uh, no. You shouldn’t have. Waited, I mean.” His hand fiddled nervously with the younger boy’s short, brown strands of hair. Lance had suddenly confessed his feelings for Keith. He declared his _love_ for him, and it scared Keith. It scared him; he, to whom solitude was second nature; he, who never in his life let himself grew attached to someone in fear of being rejected; he, who had always shut his own feelings down, deciding at a young age that he wasn’t worth loving.

 

He, who had, up until now, rejected his own feelings for _Lance._

 

Those feelings he harboured, he didn’t classify them. They confused him - _frightened_ him, almost. He didn’t put a name on them, but he was aware of how _strong_ they were.

 

“I - ,” he halted his fiddling, taking a deep breath, “I’m not good with feelings, I’m sorry - ”

 

Lance nosed at his neck. “It’s totally fine if you don’t feel the same, by the way. I just… I guess I wanted to tell you for a while now, and I never really found the perfect time to do it. I hope it doesn’t ruin our friendship…”

 

“For a while…?” Keith let himself roll off Lance and faced him. “How… how long have you felt this way about me?”

 

A small laugh of nervousness slipped out of Lance’s lips. His gaze trailed elsewhere, face half mushed against the pillow in a poor attempt to cover the obvious redness of it.  “Oh man, that goes way back. You sure you wanna hear all of it?”

 

_Way back…_

Keith nodded, and Lance opened his heart.

 

He talked about the Garrison, about his small, insignificant little crush on Keith that kept growing and growing as the day passed, and how it gradually but surely came to the point where he found himself being – as he had put it – ‘utterly and hopelessly in love’ with him, which made the Korean’s heart drum faster, louder than before.

 

“I feel like I should apologize for doing this.” Lance murmured.

 

“Doing what?”

 

“The whole kissing thing, I feel like I shouldn’t have done that. It feels like I’m taking advantage of you, because you don’t even feel the same way –”

 

“Lance –”

 

“ – and I kept _forcing_ you to kiss me, because I have _feelings_ for you, and it’s just _not fair_ for you, like, _at all -_ ”

 

“Lance.”

 

“ – and Oh, my God, I took your first kiss as well. Keith, ah, I’m _so_ sorry, I – I feel like such a jerk for doing that – “

 

“ _Lance!_ ” Keith’s hand shot up to cover Lance’s mouth, whose eyes opened to find dark violet ones boring into him. “Stop talking for a minute.”

 

Lance was effectively silenced, leaving enough time for Keith to muster enough courage and share the bottom of his thought. “I’m not good with feelings, Lance. I don’t think I’ve ever been good with that, but,” his free hand took a hold of Lance’s, guiding it to press against the rapidly drumming cacophony inside his ribcage, “ _this_ is how you make me feel. I don’t know _what_ it is and _how_ I should call it, and it _scares_ me to suddenly be feeling all of those feelings I’ve never even felt before, but I know they’re strong, and they’re all for you. Every single one of them.”

 

“Keith…”

 

Lance’s visage instantly softened, a beautiful sight that was bound to forever stay incrusted into Keith’s brain. He felt Lance’s hand cup his face, bringing it closer to his until their forehead touched, a radiant smile sketched on his face. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”

 

Keith returned the smile. “I am too.”

 

Their gaze tore from one another’s to the brightly illuminated night sky, and the both of them spend the night stargazing, comfortably snuggled up against each other.

 

(They broke the silence a few times during the night, engaging in small conversations filled with soft giggles and smooches.

 

“Why are you always up so late recently?” asked Keith, nose buried into Lance’s short locks.

 

Lance hummed, pressing small kisses against Keith’s neck. “I was preparing myself to go to your room and confess, but it never happened. Not until now, anyway.”

 

“ _Lance,_ Oh, my God, you dummy _._ ” Keith wined, thankful that his reddened cheeks were hidden from Lance, who broke into laughter at his (boy)friend’s reaction.

 

Later in the night, Keith learns that Lance and Hunk had stopped kissing as soon as Keith became Lance’s unofficial smooch buddy, and this was enough for those butterflies to reappear in his stomach.)

 

* * *

 

 

Their relationship became official. To themselves, at least.

 

The crew were not aware of the red and blue paladin’s fondness for one another, and they both agreed to let time do its job.

 

It felt better this way. Public displays of affection were not Keith’s cup of tea, and Lance – the perfect and caring boyfriend that he is – was very understanding of the situation and made sure Keith felt comfortable and safe in their relationship.

 

Keith was forever grateful.

 

As much as he disliked the idea of the entirety of the ship being aware of him and Lance’s relationship, Keith preferred to reserve their alone time at night, where he felt free to smother his boyfriend in kisses and snuggles as much as his heart desired.

 

 And that’s what they were doing.

 

The bed wasn’t spacious enough for both of them; long limbs tangled in the sheets and bodies pressed impossibly close. They spent what felt like hours kissing lazily, appreciating each other’s company. It was good. Keith felt good, and he knew Lance did, too.

 

Kissing Lance had quickly become Keith’s favourite thing. The softness of his lips against his own, the gentle way Lance’s hands cradled Keith’s face as if it was the most delicate, beautiful thing he’d ever seen, Lance’s occasional whispered _I love you_ ’s, evermore laced with sincerity and _love._

 

A smile formed on Keith’s lips, and Lance pulled away slightly, murmuring against his lips, “what’s so funny, sweetheart?”

 

“Nothing,” he pecked Lance’s lips, “Just thinking about stuff. About you.”

 

It was Lance’s turn to smile, that cute dimple reappearing on his left cheek. “You’re thinking of me even when I’m here with you? Wow, I’m flattered.”

 

“You should be.”

 

Lance moved his head down and attached his lips to Keith’s neck, leaving a trail of kisses on the sensitive skin. Neck kisses had the power to turn Keith’s limbs into jelly, made his heart race faster than it ever did, made him feel so, so loved.

 

Out of all the kisses Lance and Keith have shared, neck kisses were by far his favourites.

 

He let his hands slide underneath Lance’s shirt, rubbing comforting circles across the soft skin of his back. Lance’s lips always brushed against a particularly ticklish spot, and Keith’s sharp canines dug gently into his lower lip, preventing his laughter from erupting. The gesture was one of the most affectionate Lance had ever done to him; Keith had no problem laying there forever, as Lance trailed soft pecks all over his neck.

 

Keith loved this.

 

Keith – he realized suddenly – _loved_ Lance.

 

It didn’t surprise him, really. Keith was well aware of his feelings towards Lance – even if identifying them proved to be quite complicated for him. He _knew_ he felt great affection for him, and every minute spent by his side was, as cheesy as it sounded, enough to turn his frown upside down.

 

He felt loved, and important, and _wanted._

 

And, as time passed, he knew his feelings for Lance would only blossom and turn into something more.

 

“You okay?” came Lance’s voice, muffled by Keith’s skin against his mouth.

 

Keith offered a nod, not before remembering Lance could not see him. “Yeah, why?”

 

“Oh, no, nothing. You just suddenly stopped rubbing my back; I thought I did something you didn’t like.”

 

“No, it’s not that, don’t worry. I just –”

 

Lance angled his face up and rested his chin on Keith’s collarbones, his ever so mesmerizing blue eyes locking with his. No words left his mouth as he patiently waited for Keith to explain himself. His fingers absentmindedly drew repetitive patterns on his chest, and Keith felt his heartbeat pick up. “If there’s something you don’t like, tell me, yeah?”

 

Keith bit the insides of his cheek, feeling heat travel up his neck. “I know, I know. There’s nothing wrong. I just -  I want to tell you that, uh –”

 

Lance planted a soft, feather-light kiss atop Keith’s collarbone. “It’s okay, take your time, baby.”

 

“I - … I love you, Lance.”

 

There.

 

He said it. He said it, and his face suddenly burned. He withdrew one hand from the small of Lance’s back and threw it over his eyes, shielding his rapidly reddening face. The thrumming of his heart intensified, beating loudly against Lance’s.

 

He said it, and it felt _liberating._

 

No words came from Lance for an instant, and the silence of the room had started to weigh down on Keith. Finally, though, his boyfriend’s voice peaked out, quiet and shy, “do… do you really?”

 

Keith nodded, not trusting his own voice.

 

“You love me? You actually, genuinely _love_ me?”

 

“Yeah, I do. I love you. I love you, like, a lot.” Keith peeked from his arm only to be face-to-face with a radiant, smiling Lance, whose blue eyes seemed to sparkle like the stars and moons they have observed back in Azuros. The red paladin’s heart skipped a beat at the sight; he was so, _so_ in love with him.

 

A hand found its way to Keith’s cheek, thumb rolling over the crimson-tinted cheekbone. “I love you, too. So much.”

 

They kissed, soft and slow, as if nothing around them mattered. As if, in that moment, each other’s presence was the essence of their existence. They kissed like they always did; their emotions and feelings were pouring into the kiss, and every sigh and caress expressed reassuring words they never told each other. When their fingers intertwined – _I care about you_ – , when their gaze locked – _You mean the world to me –_ , when one’s lips brushed against the soft, flushed skin of the other’s neck – _You’re mine, and I’m yours –_ , and when their lips locked – _I love you_. 

 

They kissed like they always did, but for the first time, Keith kissed back with love, and it was everything he had ever wished for.

**Author's Note:**

> if u made it to the end hi thanks for reading  
> comments n kudos r much appreciated xoxo  
> come yell at me abt those two idiots on tumblr @htmlsushi, twitter and/or instagram @goldenastrum
> 
> peace out fam


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